Partners by Moonlight
by Airluwena
Summary: Kuroune trusted no one once he escaped from the horror that is his father. There was never any exceptions... That is, until he met Kurama. (Kuroune x Kurama) Shonen-ai
1. Saved?

Standard disclaimer for the whole fic: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Saved?  
  
The full moon hung high in the night sky, bringing enough light to guide Kuroune through the dense forest. Stepping from tree branch to tree branch, he worked through to the top of the trees. His pursers were too large and ungainly to keep up with him for very long, so Kuroune needed to by himself a little time until they got tired or gave up on catching him. Clutching the food he had stolen to his chest he jumped, flapping his wings a few times as he cleared the trees. Hunger had drove him to pilfer from the dangerous youkai and hunger is what kept him from using his wings to escape.  
  
When his strength had almost been sapped he finally dove down, weaving in and out of the trees once again. Apparently, his action was exactly what his pursuers were waiting for. With a loud twang of a bow string an arrow shot at Kuroune and struck him in the back. Even if he had more strength his wings would do him no good, they were instantly paralyzed when the arrow sank into the flesh between his wings. He fell, slamming into the ground within seconds.  
  
"A good catch brother," a voice said that was just beyond Kuroune's line of sight. The grisly group of twelve circled around their prey, a few of them kicking the downed demon. Kuroune shut his eyes, anger welling inside him at the sudden feeling of helplessness.  
  
"What should we do with him now?"  
  
"I say we devour him, it's a punishment befitting the crime."  
  
"That's a gr-"The last demon to speak broke off mid-sentence and started yelling. His words were unintelligible to Kuroune, but apparently the others knew what he was saying. Kuroune felt their feet thud against the ground as they ran from him, yells turning into shrieks and out cries of pain.  
  
Having nothing better to do, Kuroune peeked open one eye then stayed very still. At least four dozen plants had sprouted from the soil, all with very large teeth. They were quicker than the group that had hunted Kuroune, in a matter of moments all had been captured by the plants and were being gnawed on by the carnivorous plants.  
  
"You wandered into my territory little vermin, and I don't take trespassing lightly. Now suffer the consequences." Kuroune weakly lifted his head to view the owner of the sensually calm and quiet voice. On the lowest branch in a tree not far from Kuroune stood a kitsune, his silver tail swaying idly as he watched the carnage. He was dressed in light blue robes, the matching silken shoes shining in the moonlight. The kitsune was tall and lean, his well muscled shoulders and arms exposed by the sleeveless robe. His arms were crossed over his chest, claw like nails tapping against his arms. Golden eyes almost glowed from behind silver bangs, his hair the same color of his tail and reached the small of his back. Silvery ears were folded back against his head, Kuroune could barely make out a little bit of pink on the inside of each.  
  
Moving to look at the silver youko was what alerted the plants to his presence, causing them to dive after the tired and numb demon. One large stalk circled around his waist as he was raised up, one of the plants impatiently chewing on his hard leathery boot. The sharp teeth of the plant started to slice through the thick leather, causing Kuroune groan in pain. Four other plants raced towards him at the sign of pain, seemingly hungered by it.  
  
"Stop." The youko waved the other plants off with one hand and curled a finger towards himself, indicating the plant that held the captured demon to bring Kuroune to him. Kuroune closed his eyes again, fighting off the darkness that edged into his vision. "Pretty... If you were clean you might actually be pretty." The trapped demon felt a hand lift his chin so his face was even with the youko's. Kuroune opened his eyes, trying his best to glare defiantly at the youko. "Hm, with personality too. You do realize that you're at my mercy, right pretty play thing? What's your name?" Kuroune tried to bite at the hand, but it held his face firmly by the chin. "Your name, or I'll feed you to my plants. Your moan sounded delicious to them. They feed more off of fear and cries of pain than actual flesh... So, your name?"  
  
"Ku... Kuroune," he managed to whisper before the darkness claimed him.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
Dreams were something Kuroune never liked, they never were of anything he wanted or of pleasant things. They always were of his father, or the rest of his family. Haunting images of his father constantly beating him and his brothers, his father making them at a very early age clean up the gore left behind from yet another one of his victims. The worst dream came from something that haunted his waking and sleeping hours for years.  
  
He was only seven and his big sister was more like a mother to him than the woman that had given birth to both. They ate together, they played together, and she even hid him when their father was in the mood to torture his family. Their brothers refused her help, and usually ended up getting the worst of it.  
  
Father... loved their cries... and he loved Kuroune and Sesui, more than a father should love his sons. Relita would protect him from their father's attentions, until one day he found her hiding the young demon. He grabbed her by the back of her neck, fingers sinking into the soft flesh. She cried, urging Kuroune to run away. Covering his wings over his face he hid from the gruesome scene, his father was horrible when in a good mood but was a thousand times worse when in a bad one. He slammed her head into the wall, the sound making Kuroune shudder as she slid down, blood smearing behind her. Their father withdrew his sword and sank it into her in areas where he knew she'd slowly bleed to death. Then he forced her to watch as he roughly had his way with his son, not even blinking at the amount of blood coming from Kuroune as he did so.  
  
After a few hours he was finished with the little dark haired demon, throwing him to the floor and walking out. Their brothers slowly made their way to Relita's room, staring in shock as their sister struggled for breath. She reached out with a bloody hand to Kuroune, who was grabbing sheets and clothing, anything to stop the blood from seeping out of his precious sister's body.  
  
"Kuroune... Don't ever let our father win. You have to leave, get stronger and avenge me... as well as yourself." Kuroune sobbed and hugged his sister as she weakly hugged him back. "I'm sorry.... I couldn't pro... tect.... you.... Kuro..." Long after her death Kuroune stayed at her side, never letting go of the only person who had ever cared for him.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
"Hey! Wake up." Kuroune winced as he was shaken awake. "Feh, that must have been some dream." The winged demon felt a nail scrape across his cheek, catching the one tear that had managed to escape him. He growled and tried to sit up, crying was a weakness and something that only infected him when he dreamt of his sister. "Stupid, like I'd just let you get up."  
  
Kuroune opened his eyes and looked down at his body. His clothing was replaced with something similar to the youko's only in a light green. He was clean, but he was also bound by several vines. "What do you want?"  
  
The kitsune shrugged. "Nothing really. I was just curious what was under all that dirt. Now that I know..." He brushed the back of his hand across Kuroune's cheek, making him growl and jerk away from the contact. "Fiesty, I like that."  
  
"Who ARE you?"  
  
"My name is Kurama, perhaps you've heard of me?" The silver youko smirked, loosening the vines across Kuroune's chest and arms.  
  
"I have... But then you know your reputation by heart, I'm sure, so I don't need to repeat it. What are you up to? Why are you letting me sit up?" Kuroune winced as a large hot bowl dropped into his lap.  
  
"As much as feeding you by hand sounds appealing, I thought it'd be better if you were able to do it yourself." Kurama caressed Kuroune's right wing. "How do they feel? Can you move them any?"  
  
Kuroune took a sip of the steaming soup, setting it down when he found it hot enough to burn his tongue. Carefully he tried to wiggle one wing, only to have it barely twitch. He tried the other and had the same luck. "Damn it..."  
  
"I had thought so. The arrow head severed some nerves and muscles near your wings. If you're a quick enough healer, you just might get some movement into them eventually." Kurama hooked his foot around a stool and scooted underneath him, sitting by Kuroune's bedside. He sipped timidly at the hot soup as he watched his house guest warily.  
  
While Kuroune fretted about the loss of his wings, something finally donned on him. His chest and back were covered in bandages as well as his foot and any other place that had received a wound from his brush with his pursuers. "Why did you go through the trouble of healing me?"  
  
Kurama shrugged, sipping at the soup again. "I really have no clue. There's just something that draws me to you." The kitsune wrinkled his nose, pointing to Kuroune's clothes. "It sure as hell isn't your fashion sense. Where'd you get those rags you were wearing? Or more importantly, why haven't you washed them in what smells like a year or so?"  
  
"I was lucky to steal those, and they weren't RAGS a few years ago. They're selphie silk, hand sewn from the most skilled seamstresses. At least, that's what they told prince Koenma before I swiped it from him. And I have washed them, I just had to wait in a rather stinky place for my chance to pilfer food from those Konkis."  
  
"Heh, you had the balls to steal from Koenma? Now I know why I saved you." Kurama smirked then gestured to the soup in Kuroune's lap. "It's cool enough now. I'm sure you're hungry, it's been two days since our first meeting." He watched as Kuroune warily took a sip from the bowl then started to take large gulps. "You almost managed to out run the Konki, which isn't an easy task. You were smart enough to enter a dense forest, knowing that their maneuverability is less than perfect and would make hunting you almost impossible. You tried to keep out of sight and tread softly through the trees, making sure not to disturb the branches to give away your position and you used your wings to move in and out of various parts of my territory. That all could have been dumb luck, but I doubt that. You're smart... If you hadn't been half starved you probably would have gotten away with it. Well, almost," the kitsune grinned around his bowl stopping to take a sip. "I would have stopped you for entering my territory."  
  
"Hn, maybe. If I had my strength I probably could have fought off those plants of yours."  
  
"Wishful thinking on your part, I control them and how many sprout. It would have been an endless wave of killer plants, even at your strongest you couldn't have avoided them."  
  
"If you say," Kuroune sneered, downing the last of his soup.  
  
"Yes..." Kurama chuckled, throwing a towel at Kuroune. "You're welcome to take a real bath. All I really did was douse you a few times to get the smell and grime off." The silver youko released the rest of the vines from their hold on Kuroune's legs. "I trust you're still weak enough not to be able to attack me. My den is like a maze and it's safer to only go where I've lit and where the plants don't nip at you."  
  
"Afraid I'll steal what ever treasure you have here, youko?"  
  
Kurama laughed and shook his head, walking towards the door. "I'm not afraid of you, I was just warning you to keep your nose out of my things. My plants don't think you quite as amusing as I, they wouldn't think before swallowing you up. Have a good bath, ne?" 


	2. Living Together is Fun

(A/N: Translation- Itai: An exclamation of pain, similar to the english ow. )  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Living Together is Fun  
  
The cave system was extensive, but Kurama had blocked off almost all forks in the tunnels with vines that would drop down, thicken, and sprout sharp looking thorns. The thorns glistened and dripped with a vicious looking liquid, no doubt some sort of poison. Kuroune sighed, tossing the towel over his shoulder. A bath would be nice, though it disturbed him a little how clean he was, for what Kurama called just a dousing. Clean in places the kitsune had no right to clean. He rolled his eyes, rounding yet another corner as he searched for the bath. The youko Kurama was known for being a legendary bandit, but there were a few more things he was known for. Kuroune didn't want to cater to some odd sexual scene the kitsune might cook up.  
  
"Finally," he breathed as the tunnel opened to a large cavern, a pool of water in the center of it. Across from the pool was a furnace, the chimney keeping the smoke from billowing into the cavern. Removing the robes Kurama had given to him and tossing them into a wooden chair he eased his aching muscles into the bath. The warm water eddied and pulled at his wings. He wadded to a wall, running his fingers down the smooth stone. A large hole was at the bottom, and once Kuroune inspected the pool more closely, he noticed the it was on a slight incline. The water would come in one side and then rush out the other, keeping a steady stream of clean water.  
  
There were bags of sand that clumped together easily was slightly oily, what was usually used for washing, along the side of the pool. Some smelled too sweet for Kuroune's taste, he preferred scents that didn't make him feel like a flower. After taking enough time to scrub over the parts of his body that didn't hurt like hell he sank under the water until it was even with his chin, letting his mind drift.  
  
It took him a couple of hours to inspect his body, not really trusting the kitsune's assessment. Unfortunately what Kurama had said was true, Kuroune might not have full use of his wings.  
  
Soon he'd have to figure out a way to escape from his small prison with out the kitsune noticing. That would be next to impossible, considering the intricate weaving of predatory and protective plants with in the area, the exit would almost more than certainly be guarded by even larger and more ferocious plants. He turned his head to examine the small opening in which the water flowed. Even if he didn't have his wings, he wouldn't be able to easily squeeze through before air became an issue. Kuroune sighed, leaning his head against the back of the tub. Kitsunes were known to have multiple exits to their homes, but it'd be next to impossible to even get near one in this blasted maze Kurama called a home. Nails clinked at the sides of the stone pool as he wracked his brain for an answer. Even if he killed Kurama, the plants would still be there... And if he couldn't escape then he couldn't eat, and he'd slowly starve to death. "Damn it, how the hell am I going to get out of here?"  
  
"So my hospitality isn't good enough for you?" Kuroune jerked his head around to see Kurama leaning against entrance to the cavern. "I've offered you a safe home until you were fully healed, one where you'll be fed, and I ask nothing from you in return." Kurama shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant but his constantly twitching tail said otherwise, as well as the cold glare the kitsune turned upon him. "When's the last time you've been offered any of those three?" The silver youko didn't bother giving him enough time to answer. "Look, I really don't know why I should keep you around in the first place. Don't make things worse..." Kurama pushed off of the wall, retracing his steps back up the tunnel as he mumbled, "youkai these days, not even a little 'thank you for saving my ass'..."  
  
As much as he hated to admit it, Kurama had a point. Kuroune didn't know if this was just another game to the kitsune, but on the off chance it wasn't... the deal was a good one. It took a lot of will power to yell out, "thank you". Even more will power was needed to hold back from launching a heavy bag of sand at Kurama as the kitsune yelled back a snotty reply. Kuroune grit his teeth, climbing out of the pool of water. The sooner he left snobby youko, the better.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
There was nothing better to do so Kuroune decided to explore his temporary home. So far, the only three caverns open to him were the one he was awoke in, the small cave that appeared to be a bathroom, and the bathing cavern. He retraced his steps back to the room he started in then took the right path instead of the left. It didn't take him long to come across the largest cavern he'd seen yet, and the most comfortable one. Two intricately carved wooden chairs sat in a semi circle around another fire place, along with a large black leather bag filled with what felt like very small smooth stones, and a glass table that separated the two wooden chairs.  
  
The glass table was amazing, it seemed to be made out of one flowing piece of glass, almost water like in appearance. The legs curved delicately to the floor, the feet curling into a ball that had a crest like a wave. There were no seems, from what Kuroune could tell, between the legs and the table top. An icy white, where as the legs and most of the feet were a cool blue, the top caught the light from the fire and glinted brightly. The top was smooth and evenly flat, cool to Kuroune's touch.  
  
The scent of meat caught Kuroune's attention as he turned around slowly, locating a smaller room to the left of where entered. Ignoring the other interesting baubles Kurama had set about the room on tables, Kuroune strode purposefully into the room. What he saw made him freeze, then snicker. "You cook?"  
Kurama turned from the make shift stove, his eyes narrowed. "Yes. Have a problem with that?"  
  
Kuroune held up his hands, chuckling to himself. "Not really." He started to poke around the kitchen, looking for something edible.  
  
"Well excuse me if I don't go out killing things and eating them raw."  
  
"No, of course not. Because that would be normal." Kuroune sneered as he snatched a piece of meat from the sizzling frying pan. "Itai..."  
  
"Tch, not to brilliant are you? Of course it's going to be hot."  
  
Defiantly Kuroune tossed the morsel into his mouth, ignoring how the meat burned his tongue. As it cooled in his mouth, Kuroune chewed it a little more slowly to enjoy the flavorful tidbit. The kitsune had added what tasted like garlic, a rare item in the Makai, as well as the native rethic and fenz. There were a few other flavors he couldn't quite identify, but all in all he enjoyed the unique taste. "How did you get your hands on ningen herbs?"  
  
"I bribed a lower class demon to sneak into the human world and steal a few things for me. Seeds weren't the only thing, but they've proven the most valuable." Kurama speared another piece with a long tonged fork, then offered it to Kuroune. "Blow on it first this time, it's easier to enjoy the subtle flavoring when your tongue isn't burning."  
  
Kuroune took the fork from Kurama, nibbling at the meat as he watched the kitsune cook. He opened one steaming pot, exposing white rice that looked like it was done cooking. Kurama grabbed another frying pan from underneath a shelf, then placed it over a burner. Water was poured into the pan, then Kurama fiddled with a knob on the front side of the stove. Fire sprang up under the pan, licking the bottom of the it eagerly. The kitsune left the water filled pan alone, moving on to pick up the pan that held the meat. He jerked it twice, neatly flipping the small pieces of meat and surprisingly kept all the morsels from falling outside the cookware. On the last fourth burner was another pot, which Kurama peeked into, then removed it from the heat. It was full of tiny green dots which Kurama stirred then poured into a blue bowl. Returning to the pan full of water, he grabbed an egg from a basket and cracked it, dropping the contents into the pan. It sizzled, bubbling up from the underside. Kurama grabbed two more eggs and cracked them as well. All three cooked quickly, the under sides bubbling and waving around. Kuroune moved to the side as Kurama grabbed something behind him, bring out yet another bowl. He scooped up the meat and tossed it into the bowl, then drizzled over the meat the sauce that was left in the pan. Placing the bowl next to the one with the green round things, Kurama carefully removed an egg from the water then placed it on a plate he had already waiting. He took out another plate and added the second egg to it before turning off the burners. In a easy swiftness Kurama grabbed a wooden spoon then scooped up some rice, making a ball out of the sticky white stuff then placing it onto a plate. He repeated the action, setting another ball onto the other plate. The youko put a metal spoon in the bowl with the green things, and one into the bowl with the meat, then stepped back. "There, finished." He gestured to a plate as he smiled, "guests always go first, or so they say."  
  
"What-"  
  
"They're called peas. Try a few, they're very tasty when cooked right."  
  
Kuroune spooned a small bit of peas onto his plate then took a large helping of meat. The kitsune was already serving himself by the time Kuroune was done. Delicious odors drifted up to his nose, making his stomach utter a protest. Kurama smirked then grabbed two forks and headed into the main cavern. He handed a fork to Kuroune before he curled his feet under him in one of the large wooden chairs. Kuroune took a seat in the other one, picking up a pea and popping it into his mouth. Sure enough, the squishy item tasted very good so he made a mental to go back for more when he was done with what was on his plate already.  
  
They ate in silence, the only sounds heard were the scrapes of fork meeting plate and the fire crackling and popping as it met with moisture in the log. The kitsune rose and went back into the kitchen, brining out two long stemmed glasses and a bottle of red liquid. He filled both glasses, taking one for himself as he finished off what was left on his plate. Kuroune twitched uncomfortably at the site of the glasses and what smelt like red wine. His father was always drinking that, and in the exact same style of glasses. Pushing angry thoughts of his father out of his mind, he took a sip of the wine. It was slightly tangy but otherwise good. Kurama put his plate on to the glass table, shifting in his chair. His elbow rested on the arm of the chair, his head leaning against his hand as one finger tapped against his cheek. The youko's silvery tail flipped into his lap, his free hand absently petting it as he started at Kuroune.  
  
After a few minutes of being stared at Kuroune couldn't ignore it anymore. "What?!"  
  
"Well, it's not like I have guests over a lot and if I do they're definitely here for something better than food..."  
  
"So?"  
  
Kurama sighed, glaring at Kuroune. "So? I don't cook for anyone but myself, it'd be nice if you would tell me if it was good or not."  
  
The dark haired demon sneered. "I'm not nice."  
  
"I've noticed," Kurama snapped, his eyes narrowing while both ears flattened back against his head.  
  
Kuroune closed his eyes, biting back a scathing reply. It wouldn't do to make his host angry, if he was going to spend a large amount of time here the least he could do was be civil. If only Kurama felt the same way. "Fine. It was good." The youko grabbed his plate and stood quickly, stalking off towards the kitchen. Kuroune sighed and mumbled, "the peas were pretty good too."  
Kurama paused, glancing over his shoulder at the demon who had his back to him. "Of course they are, I grew them and cooked them myself. To be anything less than delicious would be unimaginable."  
  
Kuroune's wings twitched as he tried his best not throw something sharp at the kitsune. "Gods, I hope I heal quickly." He muttered under his breath as soon as the kitsune was out of hearing range.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
The next few days Kuroune did his best to avoid Kurama. He only left his room to eat and walk around the tunnels, stretching his legs. On the fifth day Kuroune took a whiff of himself and decided that bathing might be a good idea. Carefully he peeked into the bathing pool, looking for Kurama. After a quick look he decided the kitsune wasn't there and started to undress. He had almost undid the knot in the sash that kept his pants up when something burst out of the water. Silver hair gracefully arched as Kurama threw his head back, the wet hair making a wet smack as it collided with his back. He edged his way to the shallow end, his ears drooping a little as he noticed Kuroune. The water reached his waist, but the black stone was a stark contrast against the light skin and even lighter tail. Kurama cleared his throat and Kuroune noticed guiltily that he had been staring at the well built kitsune.  
  
Kuroune turned his head to the side, clutching at his falling pants. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd be in here."  
  
The youko scoffed as he got out of the pool, not bothering to hide his nudity while he toweled himself off. "Of course you didn't, or you would have left. Like you've been doing lately." Kurama wrapped a towel around his waist then rubbed furiously at his long hair. "By all means, don't let my presence keep you from a bath."  
  
With a smirk Kuroune shrugged, "okay." He let his pants fall to the floor then stepped out of them, stretching his arms over his head as well as his wings, to the fullest he was able to open them. Not bothering to use the steps, which were being blocked off by Kurama, he jumped in, wincing as the water hit him a bit harder than he had intended in sensitive places. Kuroune shook his long leathery wings, only moving them a few inches as he cleared the water from them.  
  
"Impressive."  
  
Kuroune looked up at the kitsune and nodded. "I've been working with them the past few days... I might get more movement out of them then we both had thought."  
  
"While your achievement with your wings is rather amazing, I wasn't talking about them." Kurama grinned devilishly then turned and left. "Oh, and Kuroune? If you can manage to tolerate me for a little while longer, I promise to behave." The kitsune left, chuckling to himself.  
  
The winged demon flipped an obscene gesture at the retreating kitsune's back, growling to himself. "Behave my ass... Still..." Kuroune sighed as he stomach rumbled. As much as he hated to admit it, Kurama's cooking was rather good, and would be a hell of a lot better than just sneaking bits and pieces of food. He dove under the water, making sure his long black hair was completely wet before coming back up for air. It was for a good cause, if he ate well then he'd have more energy to devote to healing his wings. At least that's what he kept telling himself. 


	3. Worthy

(A/N: I'd like to clarify a few things, for those not familiar with such terms or how I might use them: Mated in the Makai is the human equivalent to being married. Inari is a fox god, the deity of harvest or the rice and sake god. He used white foxes as his messengers. Ki- Energy)  
  
Chapter 3 Worthy  
  
"Will you just tell me where the hell we're going?" Kuroune complained once again as he was led through another dimly lit tunnel. The two weeks he had known Kurama seemed to fly by. In the first week and most of the second they rarely got along with out some sort of snide comment about each other. Either Kuroune was getting used to the kitsune or the comments were actually getting less derogative with in the past few days.  
  
On the morning of the second week Kurama used his favorite way to wake up the winged demon; pinched his nose closed until the demon woke with a start. "Hurry and wake up, will you? We've got a long day ahead of us." The kitsune threw a small lump at Kuroune's lap. "You've gotten lazy, you should have sensed me enter the room and woken up instantly. What if you were somewhere that wasn't safe when some random demon decides to slit your throat and take your money in your sleep? You would sleep through the whole thing, that's what you'd do..."  
  
"Feh, nag."  
  
"Ungrateful asshole.... Come on, get up and eat the breakfast I went through the trouble of making for you." Kuroune opened the bundle on his lap, sitting up to munch on the spicy bread. "Your welcome."  
  
"Give me a chance to wake up, will you? Jeeze..." Tears sprang to Kuroune's eyes as he bit into a strongly spicy herb. "Your cooking is getting better, this one is actually edible." He chuckled as the kitsune growled at him. "I know I know, you'll get me for that later. Feh, we sound like an old mated couple."  
  
"Mated with you? In your dreams. I wouldn't lower myself to be with someone like you." Kurama sneered as he crossed his thin arms over his chest. His tail languidly swished from side to side, a sign that Kuroune had picked up on that meant Kurama was in a playful mood.  
  
"I said sound like, not are. Besides, I wouldn't want to be with a snobby, scrawny kleptomaniac. You think entirely to highly of yourself." Kuroune popped the last of his bread into his mouth and slid out of bed wearing nothing but his skin. It was a game both played with each other, to see who would look away first. So far, to his dismay, Kurama was winning. More and more he caught the kitsune looking his way, a thoughtful expression hiding behind lustful eyes. Maybe Kuroune's game was back firing on him.  
  
"We're doing something different today." Kurama said absently, his eyes roving over the winged demon's body.  
  
Kuroune froze mid step, glaring at the kitsune. "What would that be?"  
  
"You'll see... It'll be something that will keep both of us entertained."  
  
With a few thoughtful steps Kuroune finally reached the chest that held the clothes he was borrowing from Kurama. He didn't know what the kitsune was up to this time, but he had grown used to Kurama's vagueness. Removing a pair of light, loosely woven slacks that tied in the front. He turned his back to Kurama as he slid the slacks on then tied the two strings together, keeping the them secured about his waist.  
  
"You're healing beautifully." The kitsune whispered into his ear as his fingers traced the scar on his back. "Pretty soon the scar will all but fade. The damage inside will take longer to repair though. Just how much can you wiggle your wings now?"  
  
The winged demon clenched his teeth and twitched his wings to show Kurama how far he could move them. What Kurama had said seemed to be true, he was getting lazy. The kitsune had snuck up on him with out Kuroune noticing.  
  
Kurama lifted one wing, halting as he noticed Kuroune wince. "Still can't extend them fully? We should work on stretching them out. The muscles might get too used to being in one position, and tighten. It might hurt, but it'll be worth it."  
  
"Alright." Not for the first time since he had met Kurama, he wondered why the kitsune went through so much trouble to help him. No one else would, not even his so called family. Kuroune picked up a wrap around shirt, sliding the slits down his back until he felt them settle over his wings in the correct places. Much to his surprise, Kurama helped by buttoning the slits up while Kuroune wrapped the shirt around his front, then circled the long pieces of cloth around his back. He continued to wrap the ties around his stomach then tied the shirt in place.  
  
"Finally. Come on, let's go." They walked in silence down the tunnel that led to the main cavern, then Kurama paused at a turn off he had blocked with his plants. Almost cooing at said plants, he caressed them until they retreated into slits in the rock that Kuroune had not noticed before. "It'll be alright from now on. They know your ki and will let you pass. But just this set, the rest will still attack if provoked."  
  
"Okay." Kuroune shrugged and followed Kurama as he walked deeper into the pitch black tunnel. The show of trust mildly impressed the winged demon, until his mind shifted to where he was walking. Several times he stubbed his toe against various rocks and dips in the stone. A large rock was his undoing, causing him to fall roughly to his hands and knees. "Damn!" Having enough of the wretched unlit tunnel, he gathered his energy to a point just above his hand. The point glowed dimly then seemed to ignite as a bright light burst forth.  
  
"Inari, what is wrong with you? That's far too bright." Kurama had thrown up an arm, hiding his eyes from the harsh light.  
  
"It's your fault for living down here for too long... and not putting proper lights up in these tunnels."  
  
"Alright, alright... Could you turn it off?"  
  
Kuroune extinguished the light, slightly miffed. "Well it wouldn't be so bright if I had the proper items."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"A crystal or glass globe. Any color will do, but that's the color that will shine through."  
  
"Hmm, I see." Kurama turned on his heel then waved his hand as he continued on down the tunnel. In shallow holes in the floor the akura plants normally used in the rest of the tunnels sprouted up. The golden flower glowed brightly, guiding them down the path. "I'm so used to these tunnels that I forgot you might need an actual light."  
  
That was close enough to an apology as Kuroune supposed the kitsune would come, so he picked himself off the floor, brushing off his knees. "I'll live..."  
  
It had been at least twenty minutes since the had left Kuroune's room, and for the fourth time, he asked where the kitsune was taking him.  
  
Kurama sighed. "We're almost there, patience."  
  
"Fine." Kuroune grumbled as he shuffled his feet along. With in minutes they rounded a corner and entered a large cavern, it's roof was taller than the main cavern, while the space inside was a little bit smaller. There wasn't much in the room, just a table, a chair, and a large locker. Kurama strode to the center of the room, then gestured for Kuroune to approach him. The closer Kuroune got, the more unsure of his surroundings he was. While sweat was the prominent scent in the room, a nebulous scent escaped him as he sniffed the air... Blood... the other scent was blood. Kuroune stopped and took a few steps back, his eyes narrowing as he gazed warily at Kurama.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"You tell me, kitsune." The winged demon, crouched down, preparing for an attack.  
  
"Good, you want to get straight to business. I'm glad you figured out this is where I train." Kurama smirked and ran his hand through his hair, removing a seed and placing it in his palm.  
  
Kuroune hadn't guessed that this was what the room was for, but went along with what Kurama said any way. "Why bring me here then?"  
  
"Feh, you need the exercise. And I want to test your skills if I'm going to use you later."  
  
Kuroune stood up straight, taken back at Kurama's words. "Use me later? For what?"  
  
The kitsune purred, the seed sprouting into a vine that wrapped around his wrist. Small pointy thorns grew along the vine as Kurama held up his hand, palm up, closing his fingers to form a fist. "Your skills are undeniable, and I can tolerate being around you. You'd make a wonderful partner, if you're quick enough to keep up with me. And willing to learn a few tricks of the trade."  
  
"A few tricks of the trade... Heh, so what, I'm going through thievery school?" The winged demon smirked, feeling relieved that Kurama's plans with him only went as far as partnership.  
  
"Cheeky little punk. I'll only teach you if you can manage to get a hit in." Kurama opened his hand, a rose blooming in the center of his palm. He used two fingers to scoop up the bloom, a stem forming as he drew it out. Holding the thorny rose between his middle finger and his pointer finger, he flicked his wrist. In a blink of an eye the bloom was gone, replaced by a long thorned whip. "Do you want a weapon? I've collected just about every kind and put them in that locker... Provided you can get past me to open it." He lashed out with his whip, striking the floor just in front of Kuroune's feet. The wing demon had already started flipping backwards, dodging the attack that wasn't meant to come close to him. "That was a warning. From now on, I won't miss."  
  
Kuroune licked his lips, deciding his best bet was a head on attack. Running towards Kurama, dodging almost every slash of the whip, he waited until the last possible moment and then jumped. He twisted mid-air, then reached down and grabbed Kurama's robe. Using the combination of his weight, momentum, and strength, he pulled on the fabric as he landed. The result was only halfway successful, while Kurama did flip over Kuroune's shoulder like planned, he ended up landing on his feet. Kuroune didn't wait for Kurama to recover fully, dashing to the locker to get any helpful items that might be in there. The lock was simple enough, Kuroune had been cracking easy things like that since he was ten. In seconds he hurled the lock to the side, ducking under a lash from Kurama's whip, then grabbed the one weapon he knew would be most effective.  
  
Dodging another attack from the kitsune, he dove then rolled to his feet, sending the scythe flying towards Kurama's head. The kitsune easily deflected his attack, but was distracted momentarily. "There..." Kuroune breathed, finally noticing the break he was waiting for. His quick hands also snatched the throwing daggers, hiding them in his shirt to make sure he had at least one item he could use to surprise Kurama and catch him off guard. The winged demon ran towards Kurama, flicking out the small but deadly scythe yet again. This time he sent out a dagger a second after his throw, hoping the kitsune wouldn't see the flash of the blade as it hurled towards his mid-section.  
  
Pausing to watch the throwing knife head for Kurama was a mistake, the kitsune's gaze caught the glint of steel. He easily avoided it by jumping into the air, then attacked Kuroune ferociously. The black haired demon didn't have time to dodge as the whip sliced into his chest and then his back as he attempted to get away from the barrage. Blood splattered onto the floor as he stumbled, clutching at the deepest wound of all on his side. Kurama landed gracefully on the stone, his face expressionless.  
  
The cuts themselves weren't bad, it was just the sheer amount of them that would be a danger to Kuroune if this fight dragged on. He fell to one knee, the hand holding his scythe balanced on the upright knee.  
  
"Tch, that's it? That's all you have? Pitiful."  
  
While Kurama sneered and insulted him, Kuroune pretended to hold his wound. In all reality he was gathering a little bit of his energy into his hand. The kitsune might see it as healing, but Kuroune had another thing planned. When Kurama had come close enough, Kuroune ignited the light, holding his hand up. Kurama winced and sent the whip flying towards the general area Kuroune had last been at, but the winged demon was one step ahead of him. As he rolled to one side, nearly dodging the attack that cracked the stone, Kuroune threw out his scythe. It connected with the kitsune's lower belly, tainting his white robes with red. The lack of blood was making Kuroune dizzy, coupled with his rolling. Attempting to get to his feet, he slipped on his own pool of blood and landed on a large rock that slammed into the large gash on his side. The pain seared his vision, causing white sparks to fly in front of his eyes before the blessed darkness claimed him. 


	4. Earned Partnership

Chapter 4  
  
Earned Partnership  
  
"Say it!" The boy's head flew back as his father hit him once again. The gleam in the man's eyes showed just how much he enjoyed screwing with his children's minds, and it made Kuroune sick.  
  
"Never..." The black haired demon whispered.  
  
"NOW! Or I'll kill you just like I killed your sister."  
  
Kuroune froze, his heart aching. It had been four years since his sister's death, but it still was fresh in his memory. The remembrance had another effect on him, it brought him the courage to stand up to his father while his brothers cowered in the corner. "You wouldn't dare kill me father, who else would you screw? You killed Sesui and mother left a year ago-"the boy was slammed face first into the floor.  
  
"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Kuroune." His father's warm breath filled his ear as he spoke in low tones, a warning that he wasn't playing around any more. "Now say it. Call me master."  
  
"I'll NEVER call anyone master." The weight on Kuroune's back suddenly lifted as his father got up and opened a chest. Kuroune heard his brothers whimper, but he didn't move. Whatever punishment his father had, he'd deal with. He was sick of living like this, sick of his father's abuse.  
  
The sound reached his ears before he felt it, a strong stinging sensation on his back told him what weapon his father had chosen. Repeatedly his father whipped him, tearing the clothes off his back and cutting into his flesh. The winged demon buried his face into the floor as his hands balled into fists. He wouldn't cry out, giving his father the satisfaction of hearing him scream would be just as bad as calling him master. In the short gaps between the lashings Kuroune curled his wings to his back, trying to keep them from being hit as best as he could. They were one of the most sensitive spots on his body, tears filled his eyes whenever one was stroke by the relentless whipping.  
  
After a long period of time passed, when blood pooled under Kuroune's chin, the whipping stopped. His back suddenly felt very cool as the small amount of breeze coming through the window brushed over the blood on his back. A rough hand gripped his hair as he was jerked to his knees. He hissed, the blood fell from his back and onto his calves in a torrent, but the sheer amount of pain in just getting up almost made him black out.  
  
His father leaned down, his face less than an inch away from Kuroune's. "Your mine. Don't forget that. I will take your life when it pleases me and I will do what ever I want to your body for as long as you live. You're a weakling compared to me, there's nothing you can do to make that any better." Kuroune fell forward as his father let go of his hair. "Come on boys, let's leave Kuroune alone for a bit..." As his brothers shuffled out, heads down, their father knelt in front of his son and licked at his back. "Mmm.. Your blood... I'll have to taste more of it later. Rest while you can Kuroune, I'll be back to have my other pleasure in a few hours. Until then," he leaned down to whisper into the child's ear once again, "enjoy the screams of your worthless brothers as I give them to my friends... My hungry friends."  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
A warmth spreading through out his back brought the winged demon slowly to consciousness. He was lying on his stomach, arms stretched out before him and dangling a little off the soft thing he laid on. As Kuroune peeled open an eye, he took in his surroundings. The soft thing he was laying on was a fur comforter on a bed that was three times as big as his. Candles and luminescent flowers were all around the room, as well as a painting of someone in white flowing robes. A vase filled with roses was to his right on the night stand, the strong scent wafting to his nose. The warmth spread slowly from the top of his shoulders and down to his rear, then lingered on his side wound. Kuroune lifted himself onto one elbow and looked back as something was jerked out of his line of sight.  
  
"Lay back down." Kurama commanded in soft tones as he lightly pressed on Kuroune's shoulder blades.  
  
"Why are we in your bedroom?" The winged demon asked suspiciously.  
  
"Feh, because my room is closer to the training cavern than yours."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"All what? Look, if I wanted you in my bed I would have had you here a long time before now Kuroune. Besides, you're too hurt to do anything remotely pleasing... Now lay back down."  
  
Slightly miffed at Kurama, but for what reason he didn't know, Kuroune laid back down. "Whatever... Could you at least tell me what you're doing with out hearing your snide remarks?"  
  
The youko sighed loudly then took in a deep breath, trying to control his temper. "The cuts on your chest and stomach have already been treated and are almost finished healing, so I'm working on your back. Which happened to catch the worst of the lashes. The wound on your side is the deepest... If it had been a few inches either way, you might have been in worse shape than you are in now." Kuroune nodded to himself, his kidneys were about an inch away from where the slash began and the rest of his entrails would have suffered if the wound had been further forward on to his stomach. Slipping out of his thoughts he tilted his head so that the kitsune's actions were more visible. Taking a red piece of cloth he soaked it into a basin filled with water, squeezing out the excess water when the cloth was soaked thoroughly. In a gentleness that Kurama only showed on his plants and the food he prepared, he wiped the cloth over Kuroune's wounds. "This has a special combination of herbs that not only promote healing, but accelerate it." He tossed the cloth into the basin, then laid back. It was then that Kuroune noticed the kitsune still had the same bloodied robes on as before. The usually light toned skin looked even paler than usual, his tail tip was the only part of him that visibly moved.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"What do you care?" Kurama half growled. The winged demon winced as he sat up and inched his way toward the silver youko. "Tch, the slash on your side will reopen if you keep wiggling like that. Lay back down."  
  
"Just shut up for a minute." Kuroune mumbled as he carefully began to undo the blood soaked sash. A few times his hands slipped on the wet material, knocking into the area where Kuroune's scythe sliced. Kurama turned his head to the left, laying his right arm across his eyes so the other demon didn't see him wince.  
  
"You don't have to do that. I'll heal on my own." The stubborn kitsune grumbled.  
  
"Heh, isn't that what partners are for? Besides, it's my fault if it ended up deeper than I intended... Even though it was your stupid idea that got us both hurt. I suppose I'll have to learn to deal with that annoying part of you, for a little while at least."  
  
"Feh... A very little while. You're more trouble than your worth."  
  
"So are you." Kuroune shot back, finally getting the knot loose enough to undo it. He slid his hand beneath the robe near the kitsune's chest, gliding it down the smooth skin as he opened the robe as carefully as he could. Some of the tattered edges stuck to the scabbing wound, making Kurama twitch in pain as Kuroune accidently pulled on them. "Don't move..." Inch by inch the dark haired demon pulled up the robe, occasionally picking out pieces of the robe from places in the wound that hadn't started to heal on it's own. The kitsune stayed very still through Kuroune's attentions to his wound, moving his arm so he could watch the winged demon work. Once all the of the wound was exposed, Kuroune grabbed the cloth and started to wipe at the surrounding area, working his way to the center.  
  
Kurama sucked in a quick breath as the cold liquid hit parts of his skin that felt afire with pain. "Stop. You won't do it right."  
Kuroune paused, looking up. "How is this complicated enough to get wrong? I just soak the wound with the herb water, right?" Peering a little more closely at the youko, Kuroune frowned and returned the cloth to the basin. The paleness of the youko didn't add up with the gash. While it was long, the edges were cut cleanly and the wound wasn't very deep. There was a chance it could be infected, but the symptoms wouldn't appear so quickly and his skin wasn't hot to the touch. Kuroune wracked his brain, trying to think of a reason when one suddenly sprang into his mind. There was no way a simple combination with herbs could heal him quickly as he had. "Your ki... Idoit! Why did you exhaust your ki to heal me when you have an open wound too?"  
  
Kurama smirked, "it'd be pointless to have gone through all that trouble and then kill off my partner. Compared to yours, my little cut was nothing."  
  
"Stupid..." Kuroune shook his head and mumbled as he wiped at the wound, sending a steady stream of his ki into the gash. Normally when ever he tried to heal himself, all that would be achieved was a headache and a slightly smaller wound. Kurama was right, the combination of herb water and ki the wound did start to shrink. It was nearly gone when the kitsune grabbed Kuroune's wrist and jerked it away from the slash. Kurama showed just how much better he felt by grabbing Kuroune's shoulders and flipping him on to his back. "What-"  
  
"Shut up, I was just making sure I didn't pull you back down too roughly and open that slash on your flank." The kitsune released his shoulders before laying back down on his side. "There, better?" Kuroune's head spun as he laid beside Kurama on the soft fur. "If you're not used to having that much fine tunning done to your ki, then you shouldn't do so much at once Kuroune."  
  
The room seemed to be spinning very fast as Kuroune clutched at the fur, closing his eyes. He hadn't even noticed that he had expelled that much ki. Even the little bit of pressure on his wound caused by laying on his back hurt like hell, so he shifted his wings and body to lay facing the kitsune, his eyes still shut. "Hehe, bet I'm the first to make it into your bed and fall asleep before messing around with you."  
  
Fingers grazed over his cheek then followed his jaw line, where they stayed just under the tip of his chin. "That could change," Kurama whispered, sweeping his lips across Kuroune's.  
  
The black haired demon didn't know how to answer, the lack of energy was rapidly effecting his ability to function, let alone stay awake. He wanted to push Kurama away, to brush aside the delicate grip the kitsune had on his chin, but he was afraid he'd end up smacking himself in the head. Kuroune could just imagine the amount of snickering that would come from the annoying kitsune. "Stop it," was all he could finagle out of his failing senses.  
  
"I don't want to," Kurama whispered as he tilted Kuroune's head up, kissing the winged demon softly. "Though we will deal with this another time, when you're able to truly respond to my advances. Hn, it's more fun that way."  
  
"Stupid nympho..." Were the last words Kuroune uttered before passing out.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
Kurama was the first to awaken, his gaze falling on the demon sleeping peacefully beside him. He knew he'd have to tread carefully with this one, from what he could tell of Kuroune's dreams the beautiful demon was definitely touched, and then some, by the jaded-ness that spread through out the Makai. His realization of the evil this world held probably came at an early age, and came brutally from what the kitsune remembered of the poor demon crying out at night. It was something most demons would taunt another for, but Kurama found himself ignoring the shouts coming from Kuroune's room at night. He didn't know why he wouldn't tease the easily baited demon about something so simple... Kurama just chopped it up to already having enough things to taunt Kuroune with. Or maybe it was that he could slightly relate to those cries of horror. Not one demon didn't have their own horror stories, but they all kept such things to themselves.  
  
Kuroune's rhythmic breathing almost put Kurama back to sleep as he looked over his new partner. First partner, Kurama silently amended that thought. Even if he had slept with more than his fair share of demons, he made sure none of them were ever around long enough to be considered anything special. Toys were toys, nothing more meant for them than being played with until they broke. For some reason, Kuroune was different. Any other demon would have sought him out in lust by now, or he would have grown tired of them and killed them at his leisure. The winged demon didn't covet any of the objects he was offered, and didn't try to steal anything that caught his attention. In fact, he seemed more preoccupied with the different food that was put in front of him and a story of past raids than anything else. Which meant he was trust worthy enough for Kurama, and someone that wouldn't loot his personal hoard.  
  
Despite thinking through the possibilities hundreds of times, he couldn't predict what the some times moody demon would say or do. He thought Kuroune would have ignored the wound on Kurama's stomach, trying to knock the kitsune down a peg or two, or get even for the slashes all over his upper body. Instead, Kurama ended up being a few days away from being fully healed. The kitsune rolled his eyes, wondering what the hell he was getting himself into. 


	5. Trial Run?

Chapter 5  
  
Trial Run?  
  
Kuroune's sleep was blissfully free of dreams, something he appreciated greatly. As he slowly woke up he stretched, taking note that his wings opened twice as much as they had the last time he moved them. The gash on his side only throbbed slightly and his back only ached in a few places, but otherwise felt fine. The winged demon opened his eyes, expecting to see Kurama next to him. The bed, and room, were suspiciously empty. As Kuroune eased himself into a sitting position, a cold round object knocked into his hand. He picked it up, examining the item more closely. It was a frosted crystal globe that was half the size of his fist. Kuroune stared at the ball for a few minutes, wondering why it would be on Kurama's bed.  
  
"That is what you were talking about earlier, right?"  
  
The winged demon whipped his head around to find Kurama leaning against the entrance. "Earlier? ......Oh!" Kuroune rubbed as his temples, fighting to shove the last remnants of sleep from his groggy mind. "Yeah, it's exactly what I needed." Kuroune paused, keeping his head down to hide his smirk. Not saying thank you right away for what ever Kurama gave him drove the kitsune batty. Strange for a demon who lives by stealing to be so concerned about politeness. "Thanks."  
  
Kurama shrugged, "anything to keep you from using that damned light again." The silver haired youko left the room then returned seconds later with a box. "Here, you should eat before we leave. How are you feeling?"  
  
"What? Where are we going?"  
  
"We're partners, are we not? So lets go out and steal something as a trial run. Unless you're not feeling up to it." Kurama didn't bother looking back at his bed while he walked across the room to fetch a kit filled with various lock picking tools.  
  
"Just like that? Go off and steal something?"  
  
"Feh, it's not the most complicated thing in this world... as long as you're with someone who knows what they're doing. I happen to know a place that isn't too horribly guarded, but still a slight challenge. It'll be a good place to begin." The kitsune tucked the leather kit into a pocket inside his robes, near is chest. The kit was thin and small enough not to be noticed any where he put it.  
  
"Sounds good..." He said around a mouthful of cheesy bread. On instinct he held up his left hand and caught the bundle that Kurama tossed at his head, not even fully paying attention to what was being thrown. After popping another piece of bread into his mouth he examined the bundle. They were robes like Kurama's, colored a grey-ish blue except for the sash, which was a bright shade of sky blue. Kuroune wrinkled his nose. "First thing we're doing after this hit is getting me some new clothes."  
  
"I whole heartedly agree. I'm tired of loaning my clothes out to such an ungrateful mooch." Kurama sighed as he walked back to the bed, standing in front of the winged demon.  
  
"I won't be a mooch for much longer, I'll be earning my keep from now on."  
  
"There are other ways," the kitsune lifted Kuroune's chin so the demon looked up at him while Kurama said sensually, "for you to earn your keep." Kuroune growled and tried to smack away Kurama's hand but the kitsune grabbed his wrist and shoved him onto his back. "What's wrong Kuroune? This a perfect way to warm up before ransacking." The kitsune eased both knees on to the bed, each beside Kuroune's thighs, and bent down to nuzzle the side of the winged demon's neck.  
  
"Get off me!" Kuroune said harshly, but didn't make a move to remove the kitsune from on top his body.  
  
Kurama sighed and complied, raising himself to sit on Kuroune's thighs. "What's wrong?" The silver youko chuckled and gestured to Kuroune's pants. "It seems you were enjoying yourself, so why stop?"  
  
The black haired demon sat up, bringing his face inches from Kurama's. "We're partners, that's all you'll get out of me........ for now." Kuroune fought to keep his hands on the bed instead of pushing the kitsune off of him. No one had bothered to pursue him like this, so it wasn't something he was used to. While he was fully aware of his attraction to the beautiful youko, he wasn't willing to give in to such lustful feelings, not until it felt right to him.  
  
"Hm. We'll see, won't we?"  
  
"Yeah..." Kuroune mumbled as he glared at Kurama. "Wait, I have a question... Did you use that herb water on my back the first time I was hurt?"  
  
"Hm, just now figuring that out?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Kurama paused then shrugged, giving Kuroune a devilish grin as he leaned forward to kiss the winged demon's lips. "I thought you'd make a wonderful sex toy." The kitsune hopped off of Kuroune's lap and walked towards the door. "When you're dressed, meet me in the main cavern."  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
Stealthily they crept through the dense forest, circling around the compound to find a weakness in the barrier. Kuroune sniffed the air appreciatively. It had been over two weeks since he had smelt fresh air.  
  
They had made a full circle around the large buildings but had found no visible flaws in the blue dome that shielded the compound. Kurama tapped his fingers along his crossed arms as he thought. "We could dig... but the shield probably exists for a league or two underground."  
  
"I have an idea... I'll be right back." Kuroune swiftly moved up the tree they had been standing in until he reached the top. It wasn't tall enough for his purpose so he opened his wings and prayed to what ever god that might listen. After a few halting beats his wings finally caught on and started to carry him higher. He had timed his take off well, the guards were changing duties and were too busy to pay attention to the speck in the sky. Just as Kuroune thought, the shield had a flaw at the top, a dimple that more than likely meant a weakness and probably where the shield was generated. At least, that's what he hoped it meant. Carefully winging down to the top of the tree he just left, Kuroune made a less than graceful landing. He didn't fall, and was glad he had a hold of the branch just as his poor wings gave out. They ached fiercely but he chose to ignore that for the moment. Just as he was beginning his descent to where the kitsune stood there was a metallic groan, then a loud boom. One of the walls blew out, causing all the guards to run to that area.  
  
"Looks like someone else had the same idea... Pity." The kitsune said into his ear as he jumped to the same branch as Kuroune. "This could prove informative, if we know how long it takes them to react, then we... Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Kurama smacked his arm.  
  
The thief was running across the wide yard, a small sack clutched in his fist. That wasn't what had caught his attention, it was the thief's appearance that made Kuroune's heart beat loudly. He had short blonde hair, spiked at odd angles and green eyes that sparkled with determination. Two leathery wings flapped behind him as he ran.  
  
"Family of yours?" The youko asked bluntly after he looked up. The shield was being attacked a little to the right of where the two were hidden. The demon attacking from the outside had long black hair, the light of his blasts glinting off his blue eyes. "I can tell... That one has your hair, and the same type of wings."  
  
"Yeah... That would be my little brother, Kisu." Kuroune pointed to the one running towards the shield. "The one blasting the shield is my elder brother Mentou."  
  
"What I can't get is why the little one isn't flying..."  
  
"Heh, Kisu always sucked at flying. He doesn't have enough strength to lift himself up for very long, let alone get any sort of speed. In the air he'd be a slow moving target, but on ground he's quicker than most... But what are they doing here?"  
  
Kurama flicked his ear. "What the hell do THINK they're doing here? Jeeze, you see your brothers for a few seconds and your intelligence drops a few points..." The kitsune frowned as he saw Kuroune's whitening knuckles clutching at the tree. "Go say hi... or is that the problem?" He waited for the winged demon to respond, but got impatient when Kuroune remained quiet. "Look, decide right now. Either we help them, or not. Just knocking into the shield isn't going to do anything... There's a control box for the outer guards just below us. I could drop the shield and let him out."  
  
"Why didn't you say so when we were FIRST looking for a way in?"  
  
Kurama sighed, glancing at the advancing guards. "Idiot, this was supposed to be a test... But there's no time for that now, should we help or not?"  
  
Kuroune lowered his head. "Yes."  
  
The kitsune dove out of the tree, jumping and somersaulting his way to the ground. Luckily the box was close to the tree, so it only took a few quick breathes for Kurama to break into the box and drop the shield. Mentou glanced down at Kurama, but quickly returned to his blasting, this time the guards chasing his brother were his targets. As the small short haired winged demon ran past Kurama, he manipulated the wires into raising the azure shield once more. The kitsune rose, smiling as he waved to the angry guards. "Tough luck." Just as he turned to check on Kisu the youko was knocked off his feat by a blast. Kurama growled, reaching into his hair for a seed.  
  
"Stop it Tou!" Kuroune jumped between his brothers and Kurama. Kisu gasped and nearly dropped the item he had just stolen has he ran toward his big brother. Mentou landed a little behind Kisu and grabbed one of his wings, knocking him onto his rear.  
  
"We don't have time for traitors Kisu. Let's go. Father will angry if we're late." Fear lit Kisu's eyes as he nodded, lowering his head. Mentou kicked at the boy to get up as he walked past him, heading towards Kuroune.  
  
"I am NOT a traitor just because I left home." Kuroune growled, balling his hands into fists.  
  
"No? .... But you left us behind. You could have snuck us out... you could have at the very least taken Kisu with you. Instead, all you thought about was yourself."  
  
Kurama snickered rising to his feet. "Bitch, bitch, bitch... This is the Makai, not the Ningenkai. Get over it."  
  
Mentou glared at Kurama, who smirked back at him, unfazed by the other demon. Choosing to ignore the kitsune, Mentou stalked towards Kurama and Kuroune, his voice barely a whisper as he stopped in front of his younger brother. "Kisu is father's favorite now that he doesn't have you to fuck with anymore. Imagine everything father did to you and Sesui, now happening to Kisu twice as badly. He's weak and the last few times father's paid attention to him, he ended up being within a knife's width of dying. How's it feel to be killing the part of your family that actually likes you?"  
  
"Shut up." Kuroune slapped Mentou with the back of his fist, knocking his brother to his feet.  
  
Mentou rubbed at his face, getting up slowly. "How many does this make Kuro? Four of our YOUNG brothers met horrible deaths just because you wouldn't call father master. Relita died for you too, so I guess Kisu will make six."  
  
The elder brother's head met with the dirt as Kuroune dove at him, pummeling his face. "Don't you ever mention her name again! You didn't do anything to stop him either!" Kuroune suddenly stopped mid-swing, turning to his new partner. These were things he didn't want anyone knowing, especially Kurama. Taking in a deep breath, he got off the bleeding demon and walked towards Kisu. He raised his hand to his little brother's cheek, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "I wish I could take you with me right now, but I can't... I just need to get a little stronger, then I'll face our father. I swear I'll come back for you later, Kisu. Just give me a little more time." Kuroune took a step back then turned around to look at the kitsune, daring him to say anything derogatory. It was rare to see anyone in the Makai being sweet or caring by nature, but Kisu was just that. He came from a different mother, one that was given to his father as a gift because she cried easily and begged often. Kuroune remembered covering his little brother's ears at night as their father played with Kisu's mother...  
  
"You're so full of shit..." Mentou spat, dragging Kuroune's attention back to his elder brother. "Father was right, you're weak... And you're scared of him. You'll never come back for Kisu, or any of us." He stared coldly at Kisu, "come on!"  
  
Kisu briefly hugged Kuroune's arm, looking up at him as he whispered, "I trust you." Then he ran to where Mentou was standing.  
  
"Oh, and Kuroune?" Mentou raised his hand, pointing it at Kuroune. "A little show of how I really feel about you, just in case you didn't know..." In a movement that couldn't be caught by normal eyes, the demon switched his target to Kurama and shot off a large ball of ki. It was purple and almost twice as tall as the kitsune. He tried to dodge by diving to the left, but the blast caught his legs. It sent him spinning into a tree, his back smacking into the trunk with a sickening thud. "Next time, that'll be you..." Mentou laughed as he ran back into the forest, Kisu chasing his heels.  
  
Kuroune growled and was about to chase after Mentou when he noticed the guards working the controls on the other side, probably about to drop the shield. He cursed to himself then ran over to Kurama, who was unconscious. Being mindful of his still healing injuries, he hefted the oddly light kitsune over his shoulder then took to the trees, heading back towards Kurama's den. 


	6. The Sweetest Pay Back

(A/N: This chapter is heavily edited... maybe poorly... since adult content isn't allowed on this site. If you'd like to read the full content, check out my info page and I should have a link up. x.x I really do think this chapter is better with the scene in it, so it took me forever to edit the darn thing. If it's short and choppy, now you know why. To make up for it, I'm posting all the chapter's I've written so far and posted on the other site.)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The Sweetest Pay Back  
  
After a cursory look over, Kuroune found no serious injuries on the kitsune. There was a knot a little above the base of his skull, the blow that knocked Kurama unconscious. The winged demon shook his head. It wasn't quite clear to him why he even bothered to save his new partner. The youko was a pain in the ass, the biggest narcissist Kuroune had ever met, and was condescending to Kuroune every chance he got. Though... Kurama didn't kill him when he normally would kill any other demon, and... when he slept quietly like this, he was very beautiful. Granted, that was because his usual sneers, cold looks, and mouth weren't getting in the way. Still, he wasn't all that bad. Kuroune shook his head, promising himself to never mention his present thoughts to Kurama, the kitsune didn't need a bigger head than he already had. Kurama stirred, his brows furrowing before he relaxed again. Probably slipping into a deeper sleep, the winged demon thought to himself. Then he felt a hand bump against his thigh. When he looked back up Kurama's eyes were open, narrowed, but open. It seemed Kuroune wasn't the only one that had to get used to this arrangement.  
  
Kurama stretched his arms over his head then winced, rubbing gently at the knot on the back of his head. "How long was I out?"  
  
"Not long, it's just been a couple minutes since I carried your heavy ass back to your den."  
  
"Heavy ass indeed... Maybe if you weren't so weak then I wouldn't seem so heavy to you."  
  
The two demons glared at each other, though no feelings or pride were hurt. Kuroune gave up glaring and moved on to what he was really thinking about. He shifted his weight, throwing a leg over the kitsune and sitting on his stomach. The kitsune arched a brow but said nothing as a smirk spread over his lips. The winged demon scratched under Kurama's chin, dragging his nails down his throat to the middle of the kitsune's chest. "Don't think this means anything," Kuroune whispered as he leaned down and kissed Kurama's lips gently at first, then more insistent as time passed. Kurama dragged his claw like nails over every part of Kuroune that was exposed. The dark haired demon hissed and grabbed both of Kurama's wrists. "That's enough of that!" He grinned as he held the wrists against the pillows on Kurama's bed, almost even with Kurama's head.  
  
Kurama frowned and tried to pull away from the surprisingly strong demon on top of him. "Let go of me. NOW." His tail beat furiously against the bed and his ears folded back, showing his obvious unhappiness at Kuroune's actions.  
  
Kuroune shook his head, licking the bottom of those frowning lips. "I don't want to." He smiled and pressed more of his weight against the trapped wrists as he leaned forward to bite one of Kurama's ears. The winged demon soon found out that it was an extra sensitive spot, it didn't take too long for Kurama to begin moaning quietly. Despite the moaning, his tail still beat a rapid pattern against the sheets. Kuroune raised the kitsune's hands a little higher so he could easily keep a good grip by using only one hand to hold them down. With his freed hand he stroked the silver youko's cheek, then ran the tips of his fingers down the side of Kurama's neck. Pushing back the robe, he exposed the soft skin of the kitsune's chest. Still licking and nibbling on Kurama's ear he found the little nub and set to hardening it under his skillful fingers. The kitsune gasped and tugged at the trapped wrists yet again, almost aching to respond to Kuroune's actions with something more than moans.  
  
"Release me," the kitsune breathed, almost too quiet for Kuroune to hear.  
  
"Not until I've had my fun... Or you earn it."  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
Kurama opened his eyes, still trying to catch his breath. "Now... If you could only manage to do that all the time..."  
  
Kuroune shrugged as he regained control of his own breathing. "Mhm, I don't see why not."  
  
"Heh, then here's to a happy and long lasting partnership."  
  
"Here here..." Kuroune mumbled as he closed his eyes. The pleasures mixed with all the excitements that had happened that day took it's toll, dragging him into sleep. As he began to drift off he felt Kurama shift on the bed, then a tail flipped over Kuroune's waist.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
After a long sleep the two partners ate breakfast in bed. Earlier, Kurama had made a quick trip to the kitchen and grabbed a couple fresh fruits as well as some bread with bits of sausage cooked into it. They ate in silence, sharing the bottle of juice the kitsune also brought with him. The winged demon twitched his wings restlessly, the nights exertions put a strain on them which resulted in them aching dully.  
  
"You shouldn't have tried flying so soon Kuro." Pointing to the wings with a piece of fruit, Kurama went on. "All that time put into healing them might have been wasted."  
  
"They'll be fine."  
  
Kurama chuckled, "not a morning person, are you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then should I wait to ask you a question I have?"  
  
"No."  
  
The kitsune snickered. "That's convincing..."  
  
Kuroune sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just ask me."  
  
"Why last night? What changed your mind so suddenly about me?"  
  
"Heh." The winged demon smirked and took another bite of bread. He didn't really know why either, but it was something he wouldn't regret. "I think it finally sank in last night that we're partners. So if we are, then I can trust you."  
  
Kurama blinked in surprise. "What? You mean you only started trusting me last night? Tch, thanks a lot."  
  
"Feh, I bet YOU still don't trust me." The kitsune flicked an ear back, turning his head from Kuroune's gaze. "I'm right, aren't I?"  
  
"I trust you a little bit more than I'd trust a demon I just met."  
  
Kuroune shrugged, "that's fine, I feel the same way. It's good survival instincts not to be too trusting." He took another bite of the bread and chewed it quickly. "So where to next?"  
  
The youko contemplated Kuroune's question while finishing his breakfast. "I guess..." Kurama looked over the black haired demon's still naked body. "There's a few things I'd like to do first, then I think we'll go out. There's a town near here that has decent shops. I'm tired of you ruining my clothes, so we'll get you some new ones. And then..."  
  
"And then?"  
  
"And then we go hunting. I heard there was a rare goblet some rich tanuki bought, and he happens to live in general vicinity of the town."  
  
"Let's go liberate that goblet then." 


	7. How Many DO You Have?

Chapter 7  
  
How Many DO You Have?  
  
The town of Narusuke was a quiet one, nothing close to what Kuroune was used to. While the normal dull murmurs of business being conducted was present, there was hardly any louder of noise. Which is why Kuroune nearly jumped when he heard a gong being beaten some where near by.  
  
Kurama leaned over and whispered in to his ear. "Their way of signaling the start of the slave trades in the town square..." The kitsune licked his lips."It's rather interesting to watch, want to head over?"  
  
"No. Go ahead, I'll meet you there later." The winged demon held out his hand for the promised pouch of money.  
  
"Tch... Fine. Just don't get lost." Kurama reluctantly handed over the red velvet bag. "Just don't use all of it, alright?"  
  
"Like this is all the money you have on you... I saw you sneak a few more bags before we left."  
  
The youko glared at Kuroune's back as he turned and began to weave his way through the crowd. "Alright, spend it as you will..." He yelled before ducking between two burly demons, leaving for the town square.  
  
Kuroune took in the sights and smells of the new city while searching for a suitable shop. The streets were wide, ample for even the largest demons to pass freely in the crowded streets. Dozens of different kinds of demons could be seen, a few even Kuroune wasn't familiar with. Some walked on two legs while others floated. One demon that passed Kuroune walked on all fours, his body resembling a stone gargoyle. A female demon with a stone placed between her eyes and the middle of her chest, winked half of her six eyes seductively at a tall man who was covered in blue fur. Kuroune snickered, wondering if the girl knew that Noti demons liked eating their sexual partners, literally.  
  
The shops were mostly full of fresh food, with the occasional odd cart full of trinkets. The smell of food made the winged demon's stomach grumble, but he ignored it. This wasn't where he'd like to buy food.  
  
While the fruit and vegetables looked pitiful at best, the meat was even worse. The hot sun that beat down on him was spoiling the long pieces of red and purple meat several shops had out on display. He knew where almost every type of meat sold at the vendors came from. Some of the white and grey-ish were from game birds, the red from various small animals, and the purple came from a logoroth. They were a common meat in the Makai, those who claimed to have brought one down themselves gained a small amount of respect from the weaker demons. The logoroth was a very large beast with very sharp horns. One animal made at least fifty pounds of edible meat.  
  
At the end of the street was the store Kuroune had been searching for. Pushing back the cloth hanging in the doorway, he entered. To Kuroune's relief, the store was much cooler than outside. While he stood near the doorway waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim light in the room, Kuroune sniffed the air. The scent of dye and leather assaulted his nose. The store not only sold clothes, but made them as well. Kuroune took that as a good sign.  
  
"Take a look around. If you find anything, feel free to try it on." A woman wearing nothing but a few scarves placed in the right areas gestured to the door on the opposite wall. "Dressing rooms are over there." She sat down in a wooden chair, not bothering to cover up as she crossed her legs in front of her.  
  
"Guess they don't sell underwear here..." Kuroune mumbled under his breath and started looking around. Most of the clothes at the front of the store were robes like Kurama's. The black haired demon sighed. He was tired of wearing those boring clothes.  
  
Towards the back were some vests. Looking for a color he liked among all the different choices, he snagged the plain black one. It had large roughly cut arm holes, probably to make sure demons of different types could wear it. The front tied unevenly together with a thick grey string. Black pants were at the next rack, the kind he preferred to wear that didn't restrict his movement but still hugged his body. A long white piece of fabric was nearer to the door, so he grabbed it too after running his fingers over it's soft length. Taking all of items into the dressing room, he experimented with where to put the white piece of cloth. Finally, after a couple of minutes, he decided to wrap the cloth around his waist. After changing back to his borrowed robes, Kuroune went in search of a belt.  
  
The store wasn't organized well and Kuroune got bored looking through the rest of the crap for a decent belt. "Hey, where are the belts?" The woman stopped fanning herself long enough to point to a bin near her. It wasn't hard to find a belt, but the woman held up her hand.  
  
"If you want a really good one, then take a few of these." She bent over and got a box out from under her chair. "They're charmed by a very powerful demon." The belts were rolled up, but had no buckles.  
  
"And?"  
  
"Well, watch." She unrolled the belt then pressed the ends together. They melted into one, no seems could be seen at all. "No buckles needed. Just press the ends together and boom, you're done. It's very durable too..." She took out a knife that Kuroune couldn't figure out where she kept it hid, then sliced through the belt. "That's how you take it off. Just tug on it really hard, or slice through. You can keep putting the ends together no matter how many times you slice it. Adjustable too, if you wanted to tighten it up and put an end nearer to the middle, then just press and the extra length goes away... But you can't get it back, so be careful."  
  
Kuroune smirked. "How much?"  
  
"Ne... This is my boyfriend's store, so I'm not really sure... Hmm... How about three gold and two silvers for six?"  
  
All of Kuroune's bargaining skills kept him from lifting an eyebrow at such a low price for the belts. "Sounds good... Hold on to them, I'll be right back." The black haired demon dashed back to the area he found the things he wanted to buy and picked up a few more items. If those charmed belts were cheap, the rest of the clothes were going to be a good buy. Moving quickly, not wanting the boyfriend to return before he had the chance to buy anything, he grabbed a couple copies of everything he already had. Some in different colors, nothing too flashy, such as dark blue and dark green.  
  
"I hope you don't need any shoes... I just sold the last pair." The woman called to him just as he was finishing up.  
  
On the way back to the scantily dressed woman, something caught his eye. The black hat looked like it had been made by an old blind person. It was raggedly cut on all sides, a large triangular piece missing on the right side of the wide brimmed front. A shiny gold buckle was placed in the middle, fastening a dark grey band to the hat. It was the band that would hold the hat onto the person's head. The top of the hat curved back a little, offering little coverage to the wearer against the seasons. For all it's oddities, Kuroune liked it and brought the strange hat with him.  
  
"Oooooh! I made that!" The woman bounced in her seat, a breast jiggling free as she pointed to the hat. "Do you like it?"  
  
Kuroune leaned forward and grabbed her hand, kissing the back. "Love it." The girl blushed and looked away. "So how much for all of this?"  
  
"Oh, uhm... Hmm... I think..." She regained her composure while silently counting the articles of clothing then added the hat and the belts. "How about forty-seven gold pieces?"  
  
The price was cheap, but Kuroune knew he could argue it down a few gold pieces at least. "Tch..." He pretended to count through his money. "I don't have enough, I guess I'll have to put back the hat..."  
  
"No! Well, how much do you have?"  
  
"Twenty-seven, and two silvers. But I need to leave at least one gold piece for lunch and a cold drink." He winked, "it is hot out there."  
  
"Aww... How about twenty-five then? That should be enough." She smiled brightly up at him, still not bothering to fix her exposed breast.  
  
"Twenty-five it is..." He pretended to reluctantly handed over the gold. "There you go sweetness. Have a good day."  
  
The woman shot out of her chair, grabbing some string and a brown burlap sack. "Wait, don't forget your bag." She neatly folded each item and placed it into the bag then used the string to tie the top off. "Sweetness... heh." The woman sat back down and winked at him. "You know, I'm not TOO attached to my boyfriend. If you ever get bored, look for me at the Blue Tran tavern. I'll be there all night."  
  
Kuroune smirked and nodded, "might see you later then." He grabbed the sack and left, now on a search for shoes. There were a few decent shops near to the one he had just been in, but just in case he didn't want to be near it when her boyfriend came back.  
  
Three streets down and closer to the town square than he had been before, Kuroune finally found an adequate shoe store. Bells rang as he came in through the wooden door that had two feathery wings etched into it. The clerk ignored him as he looked around, finally discovering a shoe close to what he wanted. "Hey, do make these as well?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then I'd like some boots like this."  
  
The sullen man stepped out from behind the count, grabbing a long string. He pushed the winged demon none to gently into a chair and removed the slipper that he had borrowed from Kurama. In a few moments he was done measuring. "I can have two pairs of calf length boots done by tomorrow evening. Leather, right?" Kuroune nodded. "That'll be... eight gold for the shoes, ten silver for the work. Half of the gold will be paid up front. Deal?"  
  
"It is... How much for these?" The black haired demon held up the boots he had originally picked out.  
  
"Those wouldn't fit you... If you need something that desperately, then here..." The man ducked behind the counter and handed him boots that were similar to what he was holding. "Two gold." Kuroune handed the man six pieces gold. As soon as it hit his palm he tucked it into his pocket then dove behind a curtained room. When it was obvious the man wasn't coming back, Kuroune grabbed his sack of clothes and opened it.  
  
Before another costumer could come in, he changed. The vest only took a little altering to allow his wings free movement. He had to wrap the belt around his hips twice, not wanting to waste any of it yet. The two remaining belts were thinner and longer than the one at his hip, so he wound them quickly around his arms, starting at his biceps and ending at his wrists. The hat was next, fitting perfectly against his head with out bothering the hair he already had up. The boots the man had suggested fit him nicely, ending at his mid-calf.  
  
The old man snickered from some where behind him, causing Kuroune to spin around in reflex. "Nice show... Maybe I'll finish these boots a little sooner, if you promise to do that again." The sullen shoe maker now had a slight smile on his face as he looked over Kuroune.  
  
'Not on your life' was what Kuroune wanted to say, but he didn't want the shoe maker messing up his boots. "Hmmm..." Suddenly an idea came to him and he sneered slyly. Knowing Kurama would finally start to pay off. "Like to watch do you? How about I bring another good looking demon in here to strip for you... Think I could get a discount?"  
  
He seemed to think about it for a few seconds then nodded. "Sure. I'll knock off two gold if you could do that... Tomorrow afternoon is when they'll be done, come back towards the late afternoon to be sure."  
  
"See you then." Kuroune laughed as he grabbed his bag and flung it over his shoulder. As he left he thought of how easy it could be to get the kitsune undressed. Kurama might be mad at him later for it, but he didn't care. He could see the kitsune doing the same thing to him. Besides, the vain youko probably would strut his stuff just to see the reaction from the older man.  
  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
  
The town square held a large stage in which a loud mouthed announcer yelled out the qualities and virtues of the slaves they paraded out. Most were hardly dressed at all and had wards placed on them that would weaken their power. From the few Kuroune had seen as he walked up to Kurama, these slaves were probably used as concubines.  
  
"I see why you liked them so much." The winged demon whispered into the kitsune's ear.  
  
Kurama smirked and glanced back, then blinked and turned fully around. "Well well, guess I don't have to worry about you dressing yourself. Very nice..." He licked his lips then flicked the red bag. "How did you do?"  
  
Kuroune glared at the youko. "Like that's any of your business."  
  
With a shrug he turned around, his interest switching back to the slaves. "Enough to buy us dinner?"  
"Sure... So am I right, are these used as concubines?"  
  
"Yes. See," he pointed to the side of the stage that held a grisly looking demon. "That's where the bought slaves go, they're fitted with new collars, though chains at the feet and hands are optional. Then that man," Kurama gestured to the skinny demon next to the grisly one, "takes your money."  
  
Kuroune chuckled, "sounds like you know it by heart."  
  
"I do, I've bought a few... They break easily, or I'd have more around."  
  
"Not strong willed enough for you?"  
  
"Not that kind of break..."  
  
The black haired demon laughed, nodding. "Ah, I see." He leaned up and nipped at Kurama's ear, which twitched afterwards. "Remind me to always be on top then."  
  
"Oh no beautiful," the kitsune turned around and grabbed Kuroune's chin. "You'll be paying for that night... If we didn't have a job to do later, I'd take my revenge right now."  
  
"Hn, I'd like to see you try."  
  
"You will, later." The youko elbowed Kuroune's side then jerked his head to the left. "See that tanuki over there? He's the one I was talking about earlier, Tazmul."  
  
Kuroune glanced over at the short, fat tanuki Kurama had pointed out. He was dressed in silky robes, rings adorning every finger. The area around him was void of demons, kept away by a few body guards. Tazmul sat on a make shift bench, tapping his sharp ended cane against the tip of his boot. His small, furry black ears peeked out from a wild mane of grey hair. While he was in a slightly humanoid form, he still had eyes banded in black like a raccoon's. A thickly furred tail wagged slightly when ever a new slave was brought up. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he pointed to the stage. A scrawny green skinned demon jumped up and started waving his hand, bidding on the slave.  
  
Curious now, Kuroune looked back to the stage. Time seemed to slow around him as he recognized the underweight pale demon on stage, his black wings shaking slightly. His bangs hung in front of his face and almost touched his nose. The rest of his black hair was cut short, almost buzzed at the back of his head.  
  
"Shit Kuro," the kitsune swore silently beside him. "How many friggin brothers DO you have?"  
  
Kuroune shook his head, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "My father sees making children as a craft. He sells most of them off, the ones he doesn't keep for himself that is." The last half of the sentence was barely above a whisper. "Kade... After my father whipped me for not calling him master, he fed my brothers to his friends. Kade and Mentou had to watch them tear apart our brothers' flesh..."  
  
"So what now? Do you want to bid on him?" Kurama smirked as he caught a glimpse of Tazmul taking part in the bid. "Or we could just let him win, and when we visit him later we can take Kade with us."  
  
"No."  
  
"Excuse me?" The kitsune raised an eyebrow. "I thought your family was important to you."  
  
"Then you thought wrongly. I'll kill my father eventually, that's a given. The rest of my family can just suffer on their own." The winged demon turned his back to Kurama and started to leave. "I hate heros, and I'm definitely not one of them."  
  
The youko looked back up at the stage, catching a glimmer of recognition in Kade's eyes as well as a little bit of hope. He watched his brother leave, not paying attention to the announcer as he was ordered off stage. Even when his chains were yanked and his feet knocked out from underneath him, he watched Kuroune.  
  
"Brother..." Kade turned his gaze to Kurama, his eyes pleading to the kitsune.  
  
Kurama shrugged and flicked his tail, turning on his heel to follow his partner. Thank the gods family drama wasn't something he had to deal with any more. "Hey Kuro, wait up. You owe me dinner." 


	8. Scream in the Night

Chapter 8  
  
The night's cool air was a stark contrast to the day's heat. Clouds darkened the moon as it hid behind the grey fluff, obscuring the light enough to make their job a little less hard. Kuroune dove from branch to branch, barely disturbing the foliage as he did so. The security wasn't too rough, as much as he had observed at least. Two guards at each gate, one in each guard tower, which were only at the upper corners of the compound. The guards in the tower would pace at the top of the wall every ten minutes or so. They were lightly armed and lower classed demons. From what Kuroune could tell from the brief time he spent in the air, there were only two guards that watched over the main entrance to the inner building of the compound.  
  
"What's the plan?" Kuroune whispered after relating all the information he had found out about the tanuki's compound to Kurama.  
  
"We'll wait until the guard at the rear wall has just made his rounds, then we'll climb up and depending on how quickly we do that, we'll either kill the guard or slip down the wall with out him knowing. Preferably we'll move quickly enough so we don't have to kill the guard." The kitsune noticed the look on Kuroune's face. "An alive guard is less conspicuous than a dead one. After that, we'll break in through a window and loot what ever we want... After we get our hands on the goblet of course. Try to speak as little as possible. Use small hand gestures too. Anything that might catch the eye of the guards would be bad." Kurama pointedly ignored the black haired demon's snort. It might seem to Kuroune as though he was pointing out the obvious, but some demons just didn't get it. "Not that I can't handle the low class security demons, it's just more entertaining my way."  
  
Kuroune smiled, "of course. Anything else?"  
  
The youko leaned forward, catching Kuroune by surprise as he kissed the winged demon softly. "Yes. Don't get your ass into any trouble that might cause you injury. I fully plan on extracting my revenge from you later on, but being hurt would put a damper on my fun." Kurama ran his hand of Kuroune's cheek then scratched under his chin all the while grinning slyly. "Let's go."  
  
Both demons made their way through the forest, stopping a few feet from where the trees started to thin then abruptly ended. After waiting a couple of minutes for the guard to pass by, Kuroune glided from the tree he was in to the middle of the tall wall, then beat his wings once to come close enough to grasping the ledge. He pulled himself over then kelt, looking both ways to make sure it was clear. Kurama followed soon after. Curious, Kuroune glanced down the side of the wall. Several thick vines treated into the ground, their exit as quiet as Kurama's entrance had been.  
  
The youko jerked his head towards the building within the walls then scooted to the other side of the wall. After looking around for a minute to check for anyone that might hinder their plans, Kurama nodded to Kuroune and jumped over the wall. The winged demon followed, landing on his feet with a slight jolt of pain that ran up his shins to his knees. Ignoring the pain, he followed the silver youko to a shadowy area just below and to the right of a balcony. It was an easy jump to make it to the top of the balcony. Kuroune watched the walls for the guards as Kurama picked the lock then pushed open the doors. He peeked his head inside, then tugged on Kuroune's wing. The doors swung shut just as a Kuroune noticed a guard start to make his rounds.  
  
The room they had entered was a darkened bedroom, and from what Kuroune could make out the bed was empty. The whole house seemed to be sleeping, to their luck. Tazmul didn't seem to be all that smart, but even a fool would have a few guards with in the walls of his home. Moving about the halls would be more of a gamble as time went by.  
  
Removing the globe Kurama had given him from his pocket, Kuroune summoned the dimmest light he could manage. The globe acted as Kuroune had hoped it would, a focal point for his magic. Without the globe he could only make two different types of light, bright and blinding. The light didn't travel far, but was enough to illuminate the obstacles in the room. Such as the low bench Kuroune almost bumped his shins against. Lips touched Kuroune's ears, almost causing him to jump in surprise.  
  
"Stay behind me. If we come close to any bends or forks, hang back and let me check before we move on. Alright?" Kuroune nodded then chuckled quietly as Kurama nipped at his ear. "I was told the goblet was on display in the tanuki's business room. It's on this floor, some where to the left."  
  
Kuroune turned so that his lips were close to Kurama's ear. "Been here before?"  
  
The kitsune's smirk was barely visible in the low light. "No. I'm just going by what a friendly little kitchen maid told me. It's amazing what people say after they've slept with you a few times. Of course, she thought I had fallen in love with her. Oh well, such are the games we play." Kurama turned and started heading towards the door.  
  
The winged demon eyed Kurama's back carefully. He wondered how much of a game he was to the kitsune at the moment. Kuroune shrugged and moved on, silently swearing to himself to only half believe anything Kurama told him. Especially when it came to feelings.  
  
Tazmul's business room was located two doors down from where they were had entered. It held a long table with at least five seats to the elongated sides and one seat at each end. In the center of the table held the goblet. The shiny gold goblet was ornate, almost to the point of being gaudy. Every square inch held a jewel, and from what he could tell all the jewels were expensive ones. It took awhile for the winged demon to get past the amounts of jewels to see the pattern they depicted. Fire licked at several different kinds of demons which were tied to poles, all wore masks of grief and horror. The goblet was twice the size of a normal one, making the pictures stand out even more.  
  
"Lovely, isn't it?" Kurama snickered as he placed the hideous goblet into a brown bag.  
  
"If you're into that sort of thing... Where to next?"  
  
The youko shrugged. "Let's just look around and see what else we can take with us."  
  
Kuroune nodded and waited until Kurama was once again through the door then followed him. Light snores could be heard as they traveled past a couple doors, not passing anything Kurama deemed worthy to steal. A scream made both demons freeze, followed by whimpering. The winged demon closed his eyes, his wings drooping a little. The scream sounded familiar.  
  
"Want to check it out?" Kurama whispered as his tail curled around Kuroune's waist.  
  
Pushing aside the tail, Kuroune shook his head. "I told you it doesn't matter to me."  
  
The kitsune shrugged and ducked down a hallway they had passed by a few seconds ago. "It might not matter to you, but now I'm curious. Besides, I bet that idiot keeps his money in his room." They walked until Kurama held up his hand, both ears standing up in an alert stance. He backed up a few feet to whisper, "kill the light."  
  
As soon as Kuroune did so they continued down the hall. Double doors could barely be seen from where they were standing, hidden in the dark hallway. Judging from the ornateness of the doors, this was Tazmul's bedroom. The doors swung open, the fat tanuki charging out.  
  
"Damn it! This one didn't last nearly as long as I had wanted him to. Why are all the pretty ones so fragile?" He seemed to be yelling at no one until two gruff demons exited his room. They carried Kade between them, his lifeless broken body hanging limply in their hands. His wings had been almost torn off completely. Nothing but a bloody piece of flesh or tendon kept each wing somewhat near Kade's back. The boy was naked, long welts could be seen all over his body as well as gashes down his back. At first glance, lack of blood could be the reason the poor boy had died, but after a closer examination the boy's back seemed to be broken in several places.  
  
Kuroune scooted further down the hall, not being able to look at the scene any more. He glanced down at Kurama, then blinked in surprise. The youko's tail was fluffed, his ears flattened against his head. A low growl passed Kurama's lips as he stood up slowly, his narrowed eyes searching for Kuroune's.  
  
"I've done brutal things in my day, and I've killed a slave or two... but NEVER like that. Not to someone that was unable to defend themselves," Kurama growled into Kuroune's ear. "What should we do?" He leaned back to sneak a peak down the hall. "He left with his guards. I heard him mumble something about getting a cleaning crew up here. If we want to take anything, we should do so now." At Kuroune's stiff nod, he dove down the hallway and into the room, the winged demon at his heels. Kuroune made a visible effort to avoid the places and items with blood on it, the scent of fear almost palatable in the room. It didn't take long to clear out the valuables and money from the room, as soon as they were finished they dashed back to the hallway they had last been in. The cleaners came seconds later, loudly grumbling about something being the third time this week.  
  
They retraced their steps to the room they had first been in. The door was still closed so Kurama opened it slowly, peeking his head in. He withdrew it then gave Kuroune a lopsided grin. Both entered the room, treading quietly as they could. Kuroune noticed the balcony door open before he noticed the bed was no longer empty. Tazmul laid there snoring, sheets covering most of his body.  
  
For a brief moment, Kuroune saw two images. One of a much younger Kade playing with Relita, smiling the only way their sister could make them smile as he chased birds around their back yard. The other was of the last he saw of Kade, broken and bloody. In that moment he wanted to use some of the ways he had learned from his father on how to kill while giving the most pain. The moment passed as he felt Kurama nudge him. Kuroune shook his head. Even if he had rescued Kade from Tazmul, what then? It didn't change the fact that he was weak, someone in the Makai would eventually take advantage of him or kill him. That was just part of living here. Kuroune crept back to the balcony then hopped over as soon as he saw it was clear.  
  
Kurama paused at the doorway, looking back at the sleeping form. While he liked a little torture now and then, what that tanuki did was unforgivable. The kitsune shrugged off the feeling of revenge as something he should do for Kuroune, just because they were partners now. Kurama had gangs before, groups of bandits to raid castles and other areas. Not one of them, minus that whelp Yomi, stood out in his mind. Kuroune was different for some reason, a reason Kurama wouldn't, and didn't want to, delve too deeply to figure out.  
  
Withdrawing a seed from his hair he sent a bit of ki into it then flicked the seed at the bed. It'd take at least six minutes for the ki to open the seed, but once it did the plant would erupt forth and devour who ever was closest to it. Tazmul's death would be a lingering, painful experience. That was enough to make Kurama smile as he hopped over the balcony. 


End file.
